The trademark and name change was filed in March 2009. Here is a statement from newly founded Visceral Games:

"We are not abandoning our past but embracing the future," Schofield says, addressing the legions of fans who will obviously prefer the location-based former name of the studio. "With an obsessive focus on excellence and a relentless commitment to intense action, Visceral Games is set to execute all future games at the quality, innovation and polish of Dead Space."